


Level Downer

by RanVor



Category: Toaru Majutsu no Index | A Certain Magical Index, とある科学の一方通行 | Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator | A Certain Scientific Accelerator
Genre: Deus Ex Machina, Gen, My First Work in This Fandom, Power failure, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-09 08:03:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20850164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RanVor/pseuds/RanVor
Summary: A quick trip to a playground turns into Accelerator’s worst nightmare.(Based on a Whumptober 2019 prompt "Shaky Hands".)





	Level Downer

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first (and hopefully last) Accelerator fic. It takes place at some unspecified point during the New Testament series and obviously involves Accelerator, so spoilers are a given. I tried not to spoil too much, though.
> 
> So yeah, enjoy my latest screwup (if you can).
> 
> PS: I suck at ratings, so if you think the rating here is inappropriate, go ahead and tell me.

Cold autumn wind blew leaves off the ground on a half-deserted playground in the middle of Academy City.

A thin teenager was sitting on a bench, observing the few kids playing around with his red eyes. His hair was stark white, just like his jacket, and his skin was barely a shade darker. A futuristic-looking walking cane was resting on his lap. Around his neck, he had a choker with an electrode attached to it. The grimace of bored annoyance on his face completed the picture of the Academy City’s #1 esper - Accelerator.

A girl, ten-year-old in appearance, with short, brown hair with a cowlick, ran up to the #1 and tugged on his trousers. The strongest esper glared at her as if he was about to kick her. The girl didn’t flinch. She was used to it.

Accelerator didn’t kick her.

“What do you want, brat?”, he asked instead.

“‘I’m hungry’, says Misaka as Misaka tugs on your trousers!”

“Already? Let’s go home, then. Yoshikawa will make you something, and I’m sick of this place anyway.”

“‘I don’t want to go home! Buy me a hot dog!’, demands Misaka as Misaka spots a hot dog stand!”

“Shut up, you brat. You ate before going out, and besides, hot dogs aren’t good for your health.”

“‘I want a hot dog!’, shouts Misaka as Misaka punches you!”

The girl’s little fist connected with #1’s leg, utterly failing to get any reaction.

Accelerator sighed.

“What a pain in the ass. Fine, I’ll go get you that fucking hot dog. Don’t go anywhere until I return, understand?”

He got up from the bench, leaning on his cane.

“‘Are you alright?’, asks Misaka as Misaka notices that your hands are shaking.”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing. Just stay here, okay?”  
The girl nodded eagerly and the strongest esper walked away, limping slightly.

Even though she looked like a completely normal ten-year-old, Misaka 20001, codename Last Order, was really anything but. Grown in a lab somewhere deep in the darkest corners of Academy City, this military-issue clone was the key to controlling an entire network of interconnected brains. There were people in Academy City who wanted her captured or dead, and Accelerator was there to make sure it wouldn’t come to pass.

The man selling hot dogs paled visibly at the sight of approaching #1. Still, he managed to do his job properly and soon he handed the food to the esper.

Accelerator almost dropped it.

Despite what he told the brat, the shaking of his hands worried him. It started a few days before and had been coming and going ever since. He hadn’t told anybody, but he considered visiting the doctor. No other symptoms showed up, though, so he ultimately decided against it.

He slowly limped back to the playground.

“Here’s your hot dog, brat…”

The strongest esper stopped abruptly.

“...Brat?”

The playground was empty.

Last Order was gone.

“...Fuck.”

***

There were five of them. Delinquents, but armed with knives and guns. Most likely level 0s, waiting in ambush to mug some defenseless girl. Thinking themselves strong in numbers, they didn’t flee in terror when they saw a figure in white approaching them.

Their loss.

“Hey, you trash! Haven’t you seen a ten-year-old girl somewhere around? She has short brown hair and a cowlick,” the #1 asked, not even trying to sound polite.

“Do we look like a kindergarten staff? Get lost,” replied one of the thugs. He seemed to be the leader of the bunch.

“I’m in a hurry, so better tell me all you know now, or else I’ll have to beat the information out of you.”

One of the delinquents reached for his gun.

“Wrong answer,” Accelerator said. A savage grin split his face.

He flipped the switch on the electrode attached to his choker. His futuristic walking cane retracted itself into the handle.

The strongest esper jumped.

He landed in the midst of the delinquents and immediately sent one of them flying with a kick. Another broke his arm trying to punch Accelerator. The third screamed in pain when a bullet meant for the white monster embedded itself in his own body. The fourth was knocked unconscious with a finger flick to the forehead.

The leader produced a small ball of flame in his hand. A pyrokinesis esper? No stronger than level 2, for sure. Didn’t matter. Fire was no danger for the strongest of level 5s.

Accelerator seized the delinquent by his throat.

“Now you will tell me everything you know, you piece of shit.”

***

Accelerator stood before an abandoned warehouse somewhere in District 15.

This was where his search had led him.

The girl he’d devoted his life to protecting was inside.

He turned his electrode on and kicked the door open.

The inside was dark, although he could tell it was largely empty. He turned the light on.

His hands were shaking.

He spotted Last Order sitting with her back against the wall. He ran up to her.

The girl looked up. She was badly beaten, her eyes red from crying.

“It’s okay. I’ll take you from here,” he said.

Last Order’s lips moved as if she was trying to say something.

Accelerator leaned towards her.

“‘It’s a… trap,’ says Misaka as… Misaka tries… to warn you.”

“Well, well, well, isn’t it the #1 himself?” asked the voice behind Accelerator’s back.

The strongest esper stood up and turned around.

A teenager no older than himself stood before him, wearing a black suit. His hair was light brown, his face adorned with a vicious, smug smile.

“Kakine. But how? I killed you!”

“And yet I live again. You have powerful enemies.”

“I don’t give a fuck about enemies! You will pay for what you did to this brat, bastard!”

“Who would have thought I’d hear something like that from you, of all people.”

Accelerator clenched his fist and hit the wall. A jolt of pain run up his arm, stopping him dead in his tracks.

Something was wrong. That shouldn’t have hurt him.

His hands were shaking uncontrollably.

Something resembling a curved mirror appeared in Kakine’s hand. A ray of concentrated light hit Accelerator in the shoulder and he felt a searing pain. He dodged to the side.

His power wasn’t working.

He flipped the switch on his electrode, stumbled and flipped it again.

Kakine aimed his mirror thing again and Last Order screamed in pain.

The #1 charged at his opponent. His fist flew forward, but instead of soft flesh, it hit something hard.

Kakine was hiding behind a large, white shield. He pushed and Accelerator stumbled backwards.

The other level 5 aimed his mirror again. Accelerator knew he had to close the distance quickly. He charged again.

He felt a horrible pain in his stomach.

He looked down and saw a white spear impaling him.

Blood filled his mouth and he fell to his knees. His opponent pulled the spear out of him and kicked him. He was now laying on his back, and Kakine was aiming at his throat.

_I’ve been a fool, Last Order_, he thought as the darkness swallowed his mind. _I should have known I couldn’t save you in the end_.

***

Accelerator woke up in a hospital bed. A doctor whose face resembled that of a frog was looking at him.

“You’re finally awake,” the doctor said. “You were in a terrible condition when I took you in.”

“What happened?” the #1 rasped.

“I found you lying on the doorstep of my hospital, covered in blood, with your little friend in your arms,” the frog-faced doctor explained. “I took care of you as soon as I could.”

Accelerator looked to the side. Last Order was sleeping soundly in a bed beside his, her breathing even.

“Oh, don’t worry about her,” the doctor said. “She’ll be fine. However, I’m afraid the same can’t be said about you.”

The #1 eyed him questioningly.

“Your power is gone. I can’t explain it. Nothing like this has ever happened before. It seems you aren’t an esper anymore.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Accelerator said, taking a glance at the sleeping girl.

_Whether I’m the strongest of level 5s or a level 0 trash, I will never give up on her_.

The former strongest turned his head towards the window and smiled weakly. So that damn level 0 intervened again, did he? But he’d saved the brat, so maybe some ‘thank you’ was in order.

...Or maybe not kicking him in the face next time would suffice.


End file.
